Jewish holidays are full of wine. On Shabbat, evening and morning, Jews say the kiddush (sanctification) blessing over wine. On Jewish holidays, we also say the blessings over wine. However, on one holiday, it really is all about wine — on Passover, in addition to the holiday meals during the day and the last day or two (2 days outside of Israel, 1 in Israel) of the week-long holiday, Jews have to drink four cups of wine at the seder (1 in Israel, 2 outside of Israel). That means that a lot of wine gets purchased and drunk, even by those who aren’t normal wine drinkers. Personally, I love this – both because it reflects a positive attitude about responsible alcohol consumption and also – as someone who grew up around the wine retail business during my childhood and gets really nostalgic around wine racks and the smell of fermentation (no, my family are not alcoholics — we just took family vacations to the Anheuser Busch brewery in Williamsburg, VA growing up) – this religious obligation to sanctify the fruit of the vine is what really has gotten me into wine drinking.
While not all Israeli wines are kosher, I am ONLY recommending kosher wines. Be careful, also, when ordering Israeli wine for Passover, that you are only getting kosher wine, because some retailers are selling wine that is not certified as kosher for Passover and marketing them to Jews for the holiday.
HOWEVER: these wines should not be seen as only for Jewish holidays, but rather they are good enough to drink YEAR round, for any reason that you would normally drink wine.
The Mitzvah (Commandment) to Drink Good Wine
It’s not merely a religious obligation to drink wine on the Passover holiday (and four cups during the seder). It’s a religious requirement to drink GOOD wine on the holiday and be seated in a nice place, while leisurely reclining. According to Hilchot Pesach in the Shulchan Aruch, even if you don’t like wine, you should still drink the four cups for the religious commandment. According to the Shulchan Aruch, Hilchot Pesach (תעב), it’s a requirement to drink red wine (but then the Rama, Rabbi Moshe Isserlis, responds that you can drink white wine that is truly excellent and praiseworthy — perhaps like the Carmel Sha’al Gewurtzraminer for your 4th (dessert) cup or something from Yatir). The Mishna Brura also comments that red wine is recommended because it’s considered to be nicer (which is still a common view and one of the reasons why red wine is often more expensive than white wine).
Incidentally, for those who see mevushal wine as somehow “more kosher”, according to the Chofetz Chaim’s commentary in the Mishna Brura, ideally, you should NOT serve mevushal wine (which knocks out Manishewitz and Kiddush wine as religiously permitted!) unless it is somehow more excellent (perhaps California’s HaGefen winery would follow as the only acceptable mevushal wine — most Israeli kosher wine is NOT mevushal). Expost facto (bediavad, in Jewish legal terms), mevushal wine is permitted, but it is religiously ideal to drink non-mevushal kosher wine. Thus, you see, there is a religious obligation to drink truly fine, praiseworthy wine for the Passover seder.
Two respondents on my Passover wine survey are drinking either Manishewitz or other kiddush wine. My response – DON’T. I don’t care if it’s “tradition” or it’s what your dear grandfather drank. He did it because there was no other option or didn’t know better. Today, there is NO reason to purchase Manishewitz wine (they make great Passover mixes, try those instead!) or other kiddush wine. In fact, it’s religiously prohibited to drink bad wine. I would go so far as to say that if you see anyone buying kiddush wine for the seder, tell them NO, perhaps even that Jewish law would frown upon drinking so-called kiddush wine, and point them to this post or other, real, wine.
Continue reading Passover Kosher Wine Recommendations
I’ll post my updated comments (including some notes about Jewish law) for this year with my Passover wine recommendations later in the week. In the meantime, check out my recommendation last year and my great wine haggadah.
America may have its Maxwell House haggadah, a great marketing piece to remind American Jews that coffee is kosher for Passover, Israel has a wine haggadah – although no one needs a reminder that wine is kosher for Passover.
I previously posted this last year:
Passover: The Holiday of Wine
The upcoming holiday of Passover means just one thing: a chance to explore lots of excellent wine. The obligation to drink four cups of wine at the Passover seder, as well as during Shabbat and throughout the holiday is a great opportunity to explore some of Israel’s finest kosher wines.
While kosher wine has a bad name due to associations with the sweet sacramental Concord grape, better found in upstate New York than the chateaus of Europe or the moshavim of Israel, there is no reason to drink the sickly sweet stuff. Others wrongly associate Israeli wine that just happens to be kosher with ad campaigns from decades long past from Carmel touting sweetness and low-quality grapes that are not exactly known to make good table wine.
Yet, over the past decade, a plethora of new wineries (there are now over 200 wineries throughout the country, both kosher and non-kosher) have opened up throughout Israel and many older wineries have completely turned around and are making truly world-class wine that are enjoyed by Jew and non-Jew alike.
While most of the Israeli wines available in the United States are certified kosher (which merely means that they were handled only by observant Jews and, in the specific case of Israeli wines, that the agricultural laws were observed), a recent review of Israel’s top wines (both kosher and non) in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate noted that “kosher wines are among the best in this report.” The article also noted that “The most important thing to understand is that those sickly sweet Passover wines Americans are used to have nothing to do with the types of wine Israel is bragging about these days. Now the mainstream wines are more likely to be bottlings of Bordeaux varietals, Chardonnay or Syrah that have typicity and will seem familiar to sophisticated consumers.”
Some wines to explore this Passover – and year round – come at all price points. The Galil Mountain Winery, near the Lebanese border, makes some of Israel’s “best value” wines. From excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Viognier, Pinot Noir at $13-$18 to the more complex Yiron (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged 16 months in French oak) and Yiron Syrah (100% Syrah, also aged in French oak) for around $20, there is something to suit everyone’s palate.
Other wines, only recently gracing wine aisles in the United States, are from the Tabor Winery (imported by Allied Importers) and Teperberg 1870. Tabor’s wines are very terroir-driven and are named after the soil characteristics in which they were grown. The high-end Mescha is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz, while the Adama series and Tabor series are also pleasant. Teperberg 1870, formerly called Efrat, is actually one of Israel’s oldest wineries but still a well-kept secret. Until recently, it was producing solely liquors and sweet sacramental wine of no interest to the sophisticated drinker, but they have engaged in a rapid turnaround in a short time. From the varied reds and whites in the Teperberg Reserve series, to the great blends in the Silver series (the Teperberg Meritage, a Bordeaux-style blend, is one of my personal favorites at around $14), and the value-priced “Israeli series” there is something for everyone. I’ve been enjoying Teperberg’s wines for the past several years, and am thrilled that the wines from modern Israel’s oldest winery are finally making their way into the United States.
Ever since Golan Heights Winery first produced their first bottle in the early 1980s, the secret was out that Israel could make excellent wines. Today, their Katzrin, Yarden (not including the Mount Hermon series, which are considered to be acceptable entry-level wines but not representative of the Yarden line), and Gamla series (of numerous red and white varietals) are excellent age-worthy wines, while their Golan series make nice young wines for early drinking.
Due to the tremendous growth in the Israeli wine scene, Israeli’s largest wineries – Carmel, Barkan, and Segal – have all significantly improved and expanded their higher end lines. In fact, Segal’s Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve was recently acclaimed by Gary Vaynerchuk (the millennial generation’s favorite wine host and host of Wine Library TV, a video podcast about wine) as significantly better than most Cabernet Sauvignons from California in its price-range (about $17).
You’ll be forgiven for thinking that wines from Recanati (one of my all-time favorites) came from Italy but in fact they are 100% blue-and-white. Founded by Leon Recanati, the winery has everything you could ask for – from the regular priced Recanati series (whose Shiraz is the best I have ever had) to the mouth-watering Reserve series and the Special Reserve blend. They cost anywhere from $10 for a great Chardonnay to about $30 for the Special Reserve.
For the more sophisticated connoisseur willing to spend a few dollars, there are also some tremendous boutique wines from Israel. Bazelet HaGolan (the name refers to the volcanic soil on the Golan Heights Winery, where this winery is based) makes some tremendous fruity Cabernet Sauvignons and has recently begun producing Merlot.
Domaine du Castel, a Francophile wines from the Judean Mountains just outside of Jerusalem, make what are perhaps Israel’s best wines that have been referred to as “more Bordeaux than Bordeaux.” Any of their wines — from the top Grand Vin (at about $55) to the second-label Petit Castel (around $35, I will be opening up the 2004 during the holiday) and their “C”, which is 100% Chardonnay (also around $35) was enthusiastically received as perhaps Israel’s best white wine by a Washington, DC-based wine importer upon a recent visit to the winery. They have been certified kosher since 2003, but were one of Israel’s first boutique wineries, releasing its first bottles in the early 1990s.
Those who truly believe in the Talmudic adage that there is no joy without wine should check out the wines from Yatir. With vineyards near Israel’s Negev, the Yatir Forest ($56) tied with the Golan Heights Winery’s HeightsWine (a tremendous dessert wine, which is actually a dessert itself) in the Wine Advocate report, as Israel’s highest ranking wine. For those with a smaller budget, Yatir has also recently released several new wines, which will hopefully find their way soon to North America.
While this Passover provides a tremendous opportunity to explore Israel’s growing wine scene, don’t let it be your last sip until next year. There is a tremendous wine scene in Israel, still only known to observers of the wine world and those of us in Israel, but the secret is slowly coming out. With over 200 wineries in Israel (including 150 wineries lacking formal kosher certification), perhaps it’s time for a travel through Derekh YaYayin, Israel’s Wine Route, on your next visit.
L’chaim!
French food and Israeli wine are not a common combination. After all, when people think Israeli wine they often (wrongly) associate it only with kosher food – thus barring wine and food combinations like mahi in a shrimp sauce with Barkan’s chardonnay. Yet, one French restaurant — TriBeCa’s Capsouto Frères is making just such a pair.
“Very few restaurants pair French foods with Israeli wines. That’s what’s so special, it’s a unique experience,” says Jacques Capsouto, co-owner of Capsouto Freres.
Yet, as part of the Zagat Presents series, they showcased just this earlier this month. But, even though that event is over, you can still find fine French fare with the unique pairing of Israeli wine year-round at this upscale New York French restaurant. This unique French restaurant has wine not only from America and, of course, France, but also features Israeli wine from Dalton, Binyamina, Margalit, Yarden, Galil Mountain, Carmel, Yatir, Castel, Recanati, and Clos de Gat on their wine list.
What are some of the recommendations?
For vegetarian bistro fare like terrine Provençal, Capsouto suggests Yarden’s Sauvignon Blanc.
The restaurateur says buyers should look for a nice fruity flavor up front, with clean and crisp textures and strong acidity.
For seafood dishes like mahi served in a shrimp sauce, Capsouto recommends Barkan’s brand chardonnay.
“Very fruity, appley. Pear, nice fruit up front, a little bit of oak, nice with the sauce,” says Capsouto.
Braised meats bring medium body merlots. Capsouto praises the Benyamina winery for its fruit-forward, partially-oaked varietal and pairs it with his shoulder of beef.
For dessert, the classic apple tart tartin meets Yarden’s white Muscat from Israel’s Golan Heights.
Capsouto calls the Muscat elegant with a nice balance of acidity. He says the orange blossom, apricot and peach flavors in the wine pairs wonderfully with the fruit in the dessert.
According to the Zagat Restaurant guide, Capsouto Frères is “worth seeking out” for “classic” French bistro fare, including “sublime” soufflés.” Patrons praise “friendly” staffers and a “quiet,” “beautifully unstuffy room.”
If you’re in New York, or never tried Israeli wine, why not try it at TriBeCa’s Capsouto Frères?
There’a great video on the website – sorry, I can’t embed it.
Unfortunately, the global economic crisis has hit Israel hard — particularly high tech, the engine of Israel’s economic growth, and thus the rest of Israel’s economy, with numbers the worst they have been since Israel’s independence — and, as a result wine sales are plummeting. Based on the numbers in the article below, this is particularly the little guy buying cheap supermarket wine for Shabbat and holidays — like the upcoming Passover holiday! From Globes, Israel’s Economic Paper:
Passover wine sales expected to drop 38% of all sales of wine and alcohol are during the Passover and Rosh Hashana holidays.
Merav Ankori 24 Mar 09 16:08 Sales of wine and alcoholic beverages for Passover are expected to total NIS 250-270 million estimates the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce. This would mark a 10%-15% fall from last year when sales of wine and alcohol totaled NIS 300 million.Total annual sales of wine and alcohol in 2009 will reach an estimated NIS 1.2 billion, a 9% fall compared with 2008. Chambers of Commerce figures show that 38% of all wine and alcohol sales are during the Rosh Hashana and Passover festival holidays. Chambers of Commerce beverage division chairman Dov Feintoch said, “Sales remain constant for Israeli wines in the NIS 25-30 per bottle price range and imported kosher wines in the NIS 20-25 price range. There is a rise in demand for the various types of red wine which comprise 80% of sales and the average price per bottle is NIS 25. Bottles at around this price comprise most of sales in Israel, both imported and locally produced.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on March 24, 2009
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2009
In honor of the Passover holiday, which features lots of wine, and the growing wine culture in Hebrew, the Hebrew Language Academy (yes, for better or worse, there is such a thing) has come up with Hebrew words for wine-related terminology.
The Academia L’Lashon HaIvrit was established by the Israeli Government in 1953 as the “supreme institution for scholarship on the Hebrew language.” Whatever. But, according to the Academia (great Hebrew word there, huh?), here are Hebrew words for wine terms:
אוֹצֵר יַיִן – מומחה (בעל תואר) האחראי ליין במסעדה – רכישתו, אחסונו והגשתו. המונח הלועזי: סוֹמֶלְיֶה (מצרפתית: sommelier).
אוצר יין – sommelier
יַיִן זַנִּי – יין שרובו או כולו מזן ענבים אחד לפי תקן ידוע] (varietal, cépage [Fr.]).
יין זני – varietal
יֵין מִמְסָךְ – בְּלֵנְד; יין הנוצר מזנים שונים.
יין ממסך – blend
יַיִן דּוֹמֵם – יין ללא בועות (יינות כאלה הם מרבית היינות בעולם).
יין דומם – still (non-sparkling) wine
יַיִן פִּרְחָנִי – יין בעל בשומת של פרחים.
יין פרחני – fruity wine
יַיִן יָבֵשׁ בֶּן יָבֵשׁ – יין יבש מאוד; בייחוד לתיאור יינות מבעבעים; בלועזית: בְּרוּט.
יין יבש בן יבש – very dry wine (brut)
יַיִן לָבָן בֶּן לָבָן – יין לבן המיוצר מענבים לבנים בלבד; בלועזית: בְּלָאן דֶּה בְּלָאן.
יין לבן בן לבן – blanc de blanc
אֶקְדָּם – אַפֵּרִיטִיף; משקה כהיל שנוהגים לשתות כמתאבן לפני סעודה.
אקדם – apertif
אֶפְטָר – משקה כהיל שנוהגים לשתות אחרי הארוחה; digestif (מצרפתית).
אפטר – digestif
גַּפְתָּה – משקה כהיל המיוצר מן הגֶפֶת; grappa (מאיטלקית).
גפתה – grappa
בְּשׂוֹמֶת – אָרוֹמָה; רכיב ריחו הטבעי של זן הענב ביין.
בשומת – aroma
הַבְגָּרָה – אחסון היין בחבית כדי שיוסיף ויצבור בשומת וטעמים משניים.
הבגרה – oak aging
נְטִיפֵי יַיִן – נוזלים הנותרים על צדי כוסית היין ומעידים על כהילות גבוהה ועל שיירי גליצרול; רוֹוֵחַ רַגְלַיִם, דְּמָעוֹת.
עִרְסוּל – סיבוב כדי לאוורר את היין ולשחרר את הבשומת.
ערסול – swirling wine
בַּקְבּוּק כִּיס – בקבוק קטן שנועד לנשיאה על הגוף; בלועזית: flask.
בקבוק כיס – flask
שִׁפְקוּק – החלפת פקק בבקבוק.
שפקוק – corked
רְדִידָה – פיסת החומר העוטפת את צוואר הבקבוק ואת הפקק שלו, בלועזית capsule.
רדידה – capsule
The Hebrew Language Academy was advised by Shai Segev, head of the committee and a wine writer for Yediot Aharanot, Mira Eitan, wine writer for Globes, Sagi Cooper, editor of Bakbuk, a Hebrew wine site, and wine critic at Ynet, Yair Koren, wine writer at Kol Yisrael, Asaf Paz, winemaker at Binyamina, Yotam Sharon, winemaker at Barkan, Prof. Amos Hadas, archaeologist in the field of wine at the Hebrew University, Yosef Shetach, Katzia Katz, Dr. Amidav Dikman, Avraham Yavin, and Tzviya Zamari, Hebrew Language Academy,
The new Hebrew wine words were also reported (in Hebrew only) in Ha’aretz.
The Jerusalem Post reports that Dalton Winery is trying to “green” their winery and run a more environmentally-friendly operation. Wine already uses less water than traditional exports, like fruit. From the Post:
Mar 18, 2009 15:19
Dalton Winery in Upper Galilee goes solar
By EHUD ZION WALDOKS
The Dalton Winery in the upper Galilee has just purchased two solar arrays from the Sunday Solar Energy Company to produce 100 KW of electricity, Sunday announced Wednesday. The photovoltaic arrays will be mounted on the roof of the winery.
Dalton approached Sunday as part of its efforts to green the winery.
“The winery has been undergoing a green revolution over the last two years. We use more environmentally friendly materials in the vineyards now, and the logical continuation was to use solar energy to produce electricity for the winery,” Dalton CEO Moshe Haviv said in a statement.
This is Sunday’s second winery installation. It will be installing solar arrays at the Ovdat Vineyard in the Negev as well.
It’s almost Passover time and that means WINE! In addition to Shabbat and the end of the holiday, in Israel for one night and in the Diaspora for two, Jews will be drinking at least four cups of wine on seder night.
Before I make my own Passover wine recommendations, I want to know more about your own wine habits.
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Also, please feel free to post in the comments, either your own Passover wine choices for this Passover, any questions about wine and Passover, or previous experiences and suggestions regarding this wine-filled holiday.
It’s no secret, the economy is not in good shape. This is true whether you are in the United States, Europe, Israel, or wherever. This is something we all know, and, personally, one of the reasons why I haven’t been updating this blog as often as I would have liked. However, there is still reason to drink wine – whether religious, social, or whatever.
In that regard, Daniel Rogov’s latest column in Ha’aretz explores some decent wines at good prices. No, these wines aren’t the best wines in the world, but they are good and, most of all, affordable for drinking now.
The current recession and increasingly bad economic times are having their impact on the local wine market, with many people “trading down” – buying the same amount of wine at cheaper prices. People are buying less at wine stores and more at supermarkets to find bargains, with wine stores fighting back by having more specials.
The recession has also been felt in restaurants, with even the moneyed not wanting to appear ostentatious and thus frequenting mid-level establishments instead of the top ones. In reaction, many of the best restaurants in the country have started offering very reasonable prix fixe menus, not only at lunch but at dinner as well.
As for wine in restaurants, a large percentage of diners continue to order wine, but an increasing number bring wine from home, and those ordering from the wine list are tending toward more reasonably priced offerings.
For several years, knowledgeable wine drinkers have known that the best buys in the country were the Tabor, Galil Mountain and Dalton wineries as well as in the Gamla series of the Golan Heights Winery. Those wines are now being joined by wines from the Zion winery and, while those may not make for the most sophisticated drinking, they do offer excellent value.
Read the full article for Rogov’s reviews of the wines from Zion Winery, an interesting winery on the way up.
Alcohol is an important component of many people’s Purim holiday celebration. For those looking to add kosher wine to their Purim baskets and Purim feast, here are some suggestions. Given the current state of the economy, I’ve only listed low priced wines.
Under 50 NIS
For great value wines, many of the wines from Tzuba (not available in the United States), the Golan series of Golan Heights Winery, Galil Mountain’s basic series, or the Teperberg Silver series from Teperberg 1870 make great value wines.
Tzuba
- Tzuba Ha’mayan, Belmont Red 2006
- Tzuba Ha’mayan, Belmont White 2007
- Tel Tzuba, Sangiovese-Nebbiolo 2006
- Tel Tzuba Chardonnay 2006
- Tel Tzuba, Chardonnay Dessert Wine N.V.
- Golan Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
- Golan Merlot 2006
- Golan Chardonnay 2006
Golan
Golan Heights Winery’s Golan series has always provided excellent young wines, providing good value. Israelis can purchase this in many common supermarket chains (albeit, I think it would be cheaper at a wine shop). For these young wines, if the following year’s vintage is available, it may be worth buying the younger wines, depending on storage conditions.
Continue reading Kosher wine from Israel for Purim
Gary Vaynerchuk tastes Israeli and California kosher wines with Daniel Rogov on the latest episode of Wine Library TV. I was pleased to see Daniel Rogov as a guest on Gary V’s WLTV, tasting kosher and Israeli wines, including:
- 2007 Yogev Cabernet Sauv & Petit Verdot
- 2006 Carmel Carignan
- 2005 Yatir Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2006 Herzog Generation VIII Cabernet Sauvignon
The link to WLTV and a higher quality embed is http://tv.winelibrary.com/2009/02/27/evaluating-kosher-wines-with-daniel-rogov-episode-632
